Military Wives Choir Beat X Factor's Little Mix To Christmas Number One

Military Wives Choir beat off competition from the X Factor yesterday (December 25) to take the title of the 2011 Christmas Number One single for their song 'Wherever You Are'.

The number one spot for this year’s festive number one was announced during the BBC1's Top Of The Pops Christmas special.

The single, whose profits are donated to armed forces' charities is said to have been the fastest-selling single in six years, outselling the Top 12 combined.

Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot said:

Many congratulations to the Military Wives and Gareth Malone, who have made this year's race for the Official Christmas Number 1 one of the greatest of all time. To have achieved more than 500,000 sales in a week without the backing of a vast promotional operation over many weeks, like X Factor, is truly remarkable.?It is hard to think of a more deserving winner in 60 years of Christmas Number 1s. And their victory should prompt all of us to think of the many wives and families of servicemen who are not home this Christmas.

The song's conductor Gareth Malone said of the choir’s achievement: "This is so surreal. Who would have guessed in those first rehearsals that we could take Christmas Number One? ...Thank you to the British public for supporting The Royal British Legion and SSAFA Forces Help by buying this single. Chris Evans and Radio 2 have helped us to showcase the talent and strength of these amazing women. The support of the British military for the choir has been fantastic. I'm delighted that they have found their voice. We did it!"

The Military Choir beat other Christmas contenders X Factor winner’s Little Mix with their cover of Damien Rice’s ‘Cannonball’, as well as Nirvana’s re-issue of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.

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